Sheriff-Coroner

Yolo County Sheriff-Coroner November 8, 2007 By Beth Gabor, Yolo County Public Information Officer

Remember Sheriff Andy Taylor in Mayberry, and his Deputy Barney Fife? What about Opie, Aunt Bee or Goober? If these characters encompass the breadth of your knowledge of the Sheriff, read on as I bring you into the 21st century and introduce you to the Yolo County Sheriff-Coroner.

Besides going after the bad guys, Sheriff-Coroner Ed Prieto, and his trusty staff of 275 employees, is responsible for a variety of public safety programs including, animal services, civil process, coroner, detention, patrol and court services. In this column, and the two to follow, you’ll learn more about what these men and women do to provide service to the residents of Yolo County “without limitations.”

The largest portion of the Sheriff’s workforce staffs the adult detention facilities. Having all the basic needs of a small city, these facilities provide for the care, custody and control of those incarcerated. Did you know detention cooks prepare 600,000 meals annually at $1.00 per meal? These facilities see upwards of 12,000 bookings, with 500 inmates incarcerated at a time. Currently, 37 of those are accused of murder. Besides meeting their basic needs, inmates are also offered special programs such as educational opportunities, work experience, certified medical care, and when qualified, the electronic home detention program.

The second largest unit is Patrol. Using proactive procedures and problem-oriented policing techniques this unit covers all unincorporated areas of the county, from Clarksburg to Rumsey. Patrol receives around 38,000 calls annually which include requests for assistance by other agencies and jurisdictions. Units may be called out to address problems ranging anywhere from drugs and domestic violence to burglaries and homicides. Each patrol car is outfitted with video cameras for officer safety, and soon will include laptop computers. This unit also provides a presence at community events and in the schools.

The next largest unit is Court Services which includes court security and prisoner transportation. This section is responsible for providing security for 12 courtrooms, judges, courthouse staff and the public. All officers start their training in the courts.

Animal Services is the next largest unit, but we’ll learn more about them, and the Coroner, in the months to come. The final remaining unit is the Civil Section whose primary focus is to work in conjunction with the civil courts. Through the Sheriff’s department the courts impose their mandates via orders, writs of possession, writs of execution, and other non-writ processes, including small claims, summons and complaints, and restraining orders.

In addition to these main units, personnel have been dedicated to the District Attorney’s gang task force and YONET (Yolo Narcotics Enforcement Team), crime scene investigations, SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics), search and rescue and boat patrol on the Sacramento River, Cache Creek and Putah Creek. The Sheriff has also dedicated resources towards a number of successful reserve programs including S.T.A.R.S. (Sheriff’s Team Of Active Retired Seniors), cadets (<18 years), AERO Squadron (volunteer pilots) and the Sheriff’s Posse (mounted volunteers).

“I have never met a group of more dedicated professionals and volunteers,” notes Sheriff-Coroner Ed Prieto. “Our community should be very proud.”